


At the turn of the tide

by Lothiriel84



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Drama, F/M, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-20
Updated: 2012-08-20
Packaged: 2017-11-13 00:11:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/497211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lothiriel84/pseuds/Lothiriel84
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Her eyes were as cold as steel as she asked her next question. "Is there anything that he'd be willing to accept in exchange for leaving me alone?" - Set after the season finale, so beware of spoilers...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

She closed her eyes briefly, pinching the bridge of her nose as if to release some tension.

Then she took a deep breath and stepped inside the interrogation room.

"How nice to see you again, Teresa. It's very kind of you to come and visit me."

Biting her lip she resisted the temptation to wipe that self-satisfied smirk off the other woman's face.

"I'm here to ask you a favor, Lorelei."

"Oh, really?"

"You know Red John very well, don't you?"

"Maybe. Why should I tell you anyway?"

Her eyes were as cold as steel as she asked her next question.

"Is there anything that he'd be willing to accept in exchange for leaving me alone?"

Lorelei looked momentarily taken aback. That was the last thing she was expecting from the thoroughly selfless agent Teresa Lisbon.

"Are you really letting your friend Patrick down? I can't believe it."

Teresa shrugged. "I have my reasons. Now answer my question."

"You'd never betray one of your friends – just as I'd never betray mine."

"Lorelei. Answer my damn question."

Lisbon's demeanor was so very different from the last time they had met. It wasn't about her unusual pallor, or the dark circles around her eyes.

She looked so weary, and yet so very determined at the same time. And there were also subtler changes about her – changes that could mean one thing and one thing only.

"You're carrying his child!" Lorelei almost cried in her utter surprise. "That's the only reason why you'd want to get away."

Lisbon didn't even dignify her with an answer. She rose abruptly and bolted out of the room.

The younger woman stared at the closed door for a long time – suddenly very deep in thought.


	2. Chapter 2

He eyed her coolly across the table that stood between them.

"Tell me why I am here, Lorelei."

"We have to talk."

"You never grow tired of our little cat-and-mouse game, do you?"

She shook her head. "I'm not playing games anymore."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Just listen to me, Patrick. Please."

That earned her a smirk. "So I'm Patrick now. Where has your _lover_ gone, I wonder?"

"Did you know that I've lost a daughter too?"

He raised an eyebrow and gave her an appraising look. Surprisingly enough she seemed to be telling the truth for once.

As he remained silent Lorelei simply went on.

"I was barely twenty. Got pregnant from my abusive boyfriend. He wanted me to get rid of his kid, so I ran away."

"What happened?"

"He found me. Beat me up so hard that I was barely alive when they brought me to the hospital. I cried for two days when the doctors told me I'd miscarried my child."

There was something unfathomable about his gaze now. "I'm sorry."

She made a grimace and stubbornly blinked back her tears.

"I still dream of my daughter sometimes. If she had lived, I would have called her Kayleigh – like the song, you know?"

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"I might help you. I think I owe it to my daughter somehow."

"Do you really expect me to buy anything of the kind?"

"You can tell when people are lying. Am I lying now?"

"Don't think so." He reluctantly admitted. "One can never know for sure though. You're Red John's friend after all."

"Let's say I can even things out between you and John. It'll all be up to you then."

"What if this is just another of your tricks?"

She crossed her arms and leaned back on her chair.

"You'll never know – unless you put some trust in me."


	3. Chapter 3

"Come on, Cho. Answer your damn phone."

He didn't answer. Exactly as Rigsby and Van Pelt, as a matter of fact.

She sighed wearily and threw the cellphone on her desk.

All of her team members had seemingly vanished into thin air. And she had a feeling that they weren't working on their latest case at all.

She heaved a sigh of relief when Jane showed up at last. Didn't ask him what was going on though.

_What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over._

It had become her mantra lately.

A shiver ran down her spine as out of the blue Jane stepped closer and cupped her face with his warm hand. As his fingers gently grazed her cheek memories of the single night they had spent together flooded back to her mind.

(He had stepped inside her apartment, taken her hand and guided her to the bedroom. She'd just followed him meekly, and not a word had passed between them throughout the whole night. In the morning he'd kissed her on the cheek and almost fled out of the door. Neither of them had ever dared to bring up the subject later on.)

Her eyes closed of their own accord as he leaned forward and whispered into her ear.

"It'll be over very soon, I promise."

She just hoped he could be right after all.


	4. Chapter 4

"So you've won after all. Bravo."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"No, you're not."

"Okay, I'm not. What are you going to do now?"

Lorelei shrugged defiantly. "Don't know. I suppose I could even find a good man, get married and have kids."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Why not, lover? Would you feel jealous?"

"Not at all."

"Guessed as much."

She stood up and made to leave. Then she stopped in her tracks and turned to face him again.

"Good luck, Patrick. Take care of yourself – and of your loved ones as well."

He frowned slightly as she disappeared out of the door. What was that supposed to mean?

With a shrug he walked away. Couldn't wait to see Teresa again – now that Red John finally belonged to their past.


	5. Chapter 5

"There's one thing I can't understand. Why did Lorelei suddenly change her mind?"

"Does it matter?"

"It was quite odd, don't you think?"

He took another sip of his tea. "Well, she told me that she owed it to her unborn daughter – the one she lost many years ago. Doesn't make much sense, but I don't actually mind. Not at all."

She had to put her cup down on the table – as her hand was now shaking uncontrollably.

"Teresa. You okay?"

"Yeah." She breathed weakly. "Why do you ask?"

"Maybe because you've suddenly turned as pale as a ghost."

"It's nothing, I tell you."

She was lying of course. For she couldn't quite believe that Lorelei had actually betrayed Red John in order to save _her_.

Well, not just her, but her unborn child as well.

"You know why she changed her mind, don't you?" Jane stated quietly.

"How could I…"

"Teresa."

He placed a finger under her chin and looked straight into her eyes. Obviously he would put two and two together – as was his wont.

"Is there something you have to tell me?"

"I'm not sure that we're ready for this."

A soft smile lit up his features. "After nine years of waiting? Woman, we should be done with doubts and fears, don't you think?"

She didn't answer, just buried her face against his chest. Who'd have told that her own child – _their_ child – would've brought about the downfall of the monster that had haunted their lives for so long?


End file.
